Belfast’s ambition to become a smart city will require a greater focus on development and connectivity outside the city centre, a panel heard at EG’s Belfast Question Time last night.
Roland Shaw, general counsel for Citi’s legal department in Belfast, said that although, as an occupier, Citi had been attracted to Belfast because of the digital connectivity in the city, that is not enough anymore.
He said: “People work from home a lot more and we can’t overlook outside of Belfast or outside of major hubs. Frankly, in the UK, connectivity in rural areas is poor and Northern Ireland isn’t any different. It’s not just about the smart city in Belfast.”
For the industry to deliver what occupiers need, Damian Mitchell, property director at Causeway Asset Management, said developers need to adapt to technology at a faster pace and add an “extra level” of specifications to buildings’ designs.
Work started in September at Causeway’s Chichester House, which will be the first building in Belfast to be rated by digital connectivity rating system WiredScore.
James Collier, development manager of city centre developments at Belfast City Council, said more needs to be done for the public and private sectors to tackle connectivity together. “Are our council systems, is our data, are our people suitably clued up, ready to engage with this agenda? In some cases we are, and in some cases we aren’t,” he said.
These developments would be particularly important because some of the fastest growing sectors in Belfast are fintech and cyber security.
Simon McEvoy, director of Belfast office agency at Savills, said: “This year alone there are four or five cyber security companies coming to Belfast. At the moment, with the cyber attacks, it is probably one of the most interesting industries to be at the forefront of.”
With the UK’s impending exit from the EU, Joanna Robinson, a partner at Pinsent Masons, added that firms in Dublin are looking to set up a base in the UK. Low costs and low rent mean Belfast has the potential to benefit from that if it has the connectivity and infrastructure to support expansion.
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